First Known Use: 1660
Dictionary
federal
adjective fed·er·al \ˈfe-d(ə-)rəl\
: of or relating to a form of government in which power is shared between a central government and individual states, provinces, etc.
: of or relating to the central government
: of, relating to, or loyal to the federal government during the American Civil War
Full Definition of FEDERAL
1
archaic : of or relating to a compact or treaty
2
a : formed by a compact between political units that surrender their individual sovereignty to a central authority but retain limited residuary powers of government b : of or constituting a form of government in which power is distributed between a central authority and a number of constituent territorial units c : of or relating to the central government of a federation as distinguished from the governments of the constituent units
3
capitalized : advocating or friendly to the principle of a federal government with strong centralized powers; especially : of or relating to the American Federalists
4
often capitalized : of, relating to, or loyal to the federal government or the Union armies of the United States in the American Civil War
5
capitalized : being or belonging to a style of architecture and decoration current in the United States following the American Revolution
— fed·er·al·ly \-d(ə-)rə-lē\ adverb
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Origin of FEDERAL
Latin foeder-, foedus compact, league; akin to Latin fidere to trust — more at bide
Other Government and Politics Terms
Federal
noun
: a supporter of the government of the U.S. in the American Civil War; especially : a soldier in the federal armies
: a federal agent or officer
Full Definition of FEDERAL
1
: a supporter of the United States government in the Civil War; especially : a soldier in the federal armies
2
: fed 1 —usually used in plural
See Federal defined for English-language learners
See Federal defined for kids
First Known Use of FEDERAL
1861
Other Government and Politics Terms
FEDERALLY Defined for Kids
federal
adjective fed·er·al \ˈfe-də-rəl, ˈfe-drəl\
Definition of FEDERAL for Kids
: relating to a nation formed by the union of several parts
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